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- - Keeping Cats Away (http://www.orchidboard.com/community/beginner-discussion/106412-keeping-cats.html)

Does anybody have a good furball retching ring tone?

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Originally Posted by estación seca (Post 954265)

Does anybody have a good furball retching ring tone?

That could work!

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Originally Posted by GrandpaUtz (Post 954152)

Hello all!

I used to have an account (either here or at OrchidTalk?) years ago, was very active then went to college, etc and my orchids died in my mom's care, as did my activity with the community via life. Anyway new account and newly rekindled love of orchids here!

Welcome back!!

If you know what the username might have been, or the email address that was associated with it I can check the member database for you, and merge this new account with the old one if I find anything. Send me a PM if you'd like for me to try that for you. :)

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Originally Posted by spinrah (Post 954187)

I disagree with the spray bottle idea. Cats are not trainable in the same way as dogs (they don't respond to punishment). Although you might think you are teaching them 'no,' you are actually teaching them to fear you. The spray bottle idea sounds good in theory, but in actuality what ends up happening is your cat starts to associate the water being sprayed on their face with your presence. This is because every time you spray the cat in the face with water you are standing right in front of them. Too many times I have seen this strategy backfire on people. They don't usually associate the spray bottle with the action that they are doing (i.e., chewing plants, jumping on counters, etc.), and will probably continue doing it when you're not home... because they only get sprayed with water when you're there.

Have you tried bringing an orchid around your cats? My cat doesn't care about them at all. She does try to eat pretty much every other plant I have, but the orchids don't tempt her. I would try bringing one around your cats first and see what happens. If they do end up chewing it then the best strategy is to put it somewhere out of their reach. Perhaps invest in a grow light if that spot is not very bright.

---------- Post added at 07:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:00 PM ----------

I believe chillies are toxic to cats.

Cats are trainable. My squirter bottle has taught cats not to claw furniture and not to bother the plants. I have had cats all my life, and not one of them didn't respond to negative reinforcement. No, they aren't dogs and don't respond like dogs, but they do learn, and some of them are very smart . Dogs respond better to positive reinforcements. A stern voice is usually all they need for correction, but treats work better.
Check this out.
The Savitsky Cats: Super Trained Cats Perform Exciting Routine - America's Got Talent 2018 - YouTube

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Originally Posted by Dusty Ol' Man (Post 954936)

Spray bottle isn’t negative reinforcement. That would be when you take a negative stimulus away. A spray bottle is punishment. I didn’t say that cats aren’t trainable - they aren’t trainable like dogs. They respond well to positive reinforcement (e.g., being rewarded with treats - I have trained my cats this way), but they aren’t pack animals and punishment doesn’t affect them the same way it affects dogs. Often times humans feel that they have “trained” cats through these techniques but, really, what they’ve done is taught their cats to fear, which often leads to other types of behavioral problems.

Anyways, there are always odd cases where people feel that these techniques work for them, so I’m glad you feel that it has. I’ve had cats all my life too - I still disagree with the method. :)

Those poor cats in the video looked miserable. But I’m glad the humans were entertained. :)

Spinrah, I read your last post and I wanted to reply thoughtfully. I am a cat lover and have owned cats for many years. I have spent enough money on my cats to buy a nice house. I love them dearly. But they are cats.

I understand your thoughts about negative reinforcement, but animals, like people, are individuals. What works for me and my animals, may not work for another person, as the original poster described. I believe it's important that we not be judgmental about how people care for their animals, unless they're clearly being abused. I think that this post is starting to slide into that area, and that troubles me.

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Originally Posted by Dollythehun (Post 954965)

Maybe I should clarify - I’m not trying to imply that anyone is abusing their cats. In my opinion, punishment doesn’t work as a form of long term training with cats. In operant conditioning, negative reinforcement is when a negative stimulus is removed, and punishment is when a negative stimulus is applied. The water spray example is an example of punishment. Another example of punishment is talking sternly to your dog when they do something wrong. I’m not making a judgment that anyone is engaging in animal abuse. I’m trying to say that positive reinforcement, in my experience, works much better than punishment as a form of conditioning with cats. This is because dogs are pack animals that learn to “respect” hierarchical structures within the pack. Cats are different and so punishment will work differently with them.

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Originally Posted by Dollythehun (Post 954965)

Thank you for your thoughtful words, Dolly. I was trying to figure out as a moderator how to gently handle this and word it, but my think-time has been limited so far today.

What Dolly says ^^ We don't need to start a cat fight here. :biggrin:

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Originally Posted by WaterWitchin (Post 954969)

I didn't realize I was starting a fight by discussing my thoughts on different styles of operant conditioning. Apologies - I will leave it alone.

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Originally Posted by spinrah (Post 954971)

I didn't realize I was starting a fight by discussing my thoughts on different styles of operant conditioning. Apologies - I will leave it alone.

With the deepest respect to you Spinrah, this is a text forum. We can't see your face, nor hear the tone of your voice. And your words in print seemed (to me) overly harsh. I apologize if I'm incorrect.